Clutch



Jan. 31, 192s. 1,657,731

E. E. WEMF' CLUTCH Filed July 17, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

Jan. 3l, 1928. 1,657,731

E. E. WEMP CLUTCH I Filed July 17, 1924 2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Patented Jan. 31, '1928.`

UNITED STATES ERNEST E. WEI?, l' DETROIT, MTHTGAN.

CLUTCH.

Application Med July 17, 1924. Serial We. 726,447.

This invention relates to clutches and has lor its object a simple, effective and cheap clutch design which is more especially in tended lier a single late clutch.

lt is one et the ob]ects of this invention to eliminate the driving pins which are 0rdinarily set in the ily Wheel. The clutch design is such that these pins are located in the clutch cover plate and the packing ring, so that they are part of the clutchassembly. This is an important feature for it permits the control olf the dimensions and the tolerances to be wholly Within control olf' the clutch manufacturer. Where the driving pins are located in the ily Wheel, the f ly Wheels are controlled and the pins put 1n place by the automobile manufacturer. Consequently the 'accuracy and .care with which these parts are located with res ect to the other parte is out of the contro of the manulacturer of the clutch, hence satislactory installations are not'always secured by reason ot two parties being responsible 'lor the cornplete installation.

. This and other features will he more fully described after a detailed description ol thepai'ts is given.

In the| drawings:

Fig. lv is a,v longitudinal section through the clutch.. Y

Fig. Q is an elevational vlew taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Q

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 ofFig. l.

Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of one of the hardened driving collars.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the forces which counterbalance the lever.

a designates the fly wheel which is' provided with a rearwardly extending boss b, which encircles a clutch cavity c, the boss forming part of the clutch housin Bolta-v ble to thls boss is a cover plate which is provided with sprin cup inserts e which partially house the coil springs f which exert a direct .spring pressure en the cast metal packing ring g. This packing ring is provided With suitable spring-centeringbosses it. It is also provided with perforations through which slidably engage the studs or pins 5i. Thesestiids are of special construe tion as shown in Fig. 3; the forward end of the stads bein shouldered as at and the yrear ends of t e studs being bifurcated and lieving lever n. The ,inner ends oit these levers engage with the clutch thrust collar 0. Each lever is `provided. vvitli a. small rocker s" which engages with the ifiilcrurn block g. On the inside oli the plate' is a case-hardened driving collar e which eiigages with the flattened portion ol the stud le; the stud andthe collar are both case hardened, sothat the driving eirlort trans initted through theni does not materially Wear the parts, also the iulcriiin bloclr and the lever may be hardened where they oon-u tact, thereby preventing Wear..

The lever has an inwardly projecting poru tion t which is a countci'weiglit to balance the centrifugal forces. The center of gravity of the lever on the inside of the pivot u is slightly to the rear of a perpendicular line drawn from the center ot the pin u to the driven shaft ce, hence in the diagram ot forces (Fig. fi) there is a small component tending to rotate the` lever about this pin in obedience to centrifugal forces. This small component of "forces, however, Works on a considerable leverage due to the reinoteness of the center of gravity of the lever from the center of the pin u.

In order to neutralize this small force component Working on a large leverage, I

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extend the coiintervveight `forward, as shown in Fig. 5,` so that the center of mass of the counterwei ht is nearly at right angles to the centriiligal forces; this results in a relatively larger foire component W'1 than the force component W2 tending to unbalance the lever. it lso this force component Wl is larger, che to the centrifugal force here being greater because of the greater speed of travel onthe greater radius. Hence a much smaller weight and projection from the pin is required than would be the case, if the counterweight were in line with the main body of the lever.

From the above description it will be seen that the driving pins that require accurate location and manufacture are all contained iii the clutch unit, the different parts of which form a unit assembly. This unit assembly may easily be bolted to the fly Wheel vby the bolts ai, and it is not a matter of great moment that these holes may 'be slightly out of the pro er location., yitor the driving assembly has all the parts properly positioned, dimensioned and manufactured by the clutch maker'. The driven member is preferably a single clutch disc y which is 'ing on the mounted on a hub z, that is splined onthe end 'of the driven shaft w.

It will be obvious that any suitable form l of driven disc may be used. It will also be obvious that the packing ring g is a driving disc, as is also the rear face of the fly wheel.

What I claim is:

1. In a clutch associated with a flywheel, the combination of a light metal cover plate rovided with a perforation surrounded b a riving collar and a fulcrum block an a driving pin slidably passing through said cover plate and Wholly independent of the ily Wheel, some of the parts thus related to the cover plate being constructed of hardened metal.

2. In a clutch, the combination of a cover plate rovided with a perforation, a hardened riving collar on one side of the cover plate around the perforation and a fulcruni block on the other side of the cover plate around the perforation and a slidable driving pin passing through said perforation and through the collar and block, and serving also as a thrust transmitting member, and a lever ivoted to said pin and fulcrumcrum block.

3. In a clutch, a lever Whose normal disposition is approximately radial from the axis of the clutch, and which is provided with Va counterbalancing mass for counteracting the centrifugal forces which mass is part ofthe lever and is offset substantially perpendicularly from the main line of the lever.

4. In a clutch, the combination oi an apertured cover plate, a driving pin passingT -throuvh said aperture and a lever pivoted to said pin, said lever being counterbalanccd by a mass carried on the lever extending approximately perpendicular to the line ot the lever.

5. In a clutch, the combination of an apertured cover plate, a collar on one side of' the cover plate around the aperture, a driving pin passing through said aperture and collar, and a leverpivoted to said pin, said lever being counterbalanced by a mass extending approximately perpendicular to the line of the lever.

6. In a clutch, the combination of an apertured cover plate, a collar on one side of the cover plate around the aperture, a driving pin passing through said aperture, a balanced lever pivotally mounted on said pin and a fulcruming block for said lever on the other side of said plate.

7. In a clutch, an operative lever of the irst order, the general line of disposition of which is approximately radial to the axis of the clutch, the said lever having a forwardly extending mass on its load end which is calculated to substantially counterbalanco the centrifugal forces.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature.

ERNEST E. IVEMP. 

